Before you buy
Will I get my bank's text messages with a travel eSIM?
Yes, as long as you leave your usual line active for texts. How to set it up, what can go wrong, and what to sort out before you leave.
Dani Requena 6 min Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash The short answer is yes: bank codes arrive just the same. Texts travel over your usual line, and that line stays inside your phone when you add a data eSIM. Nothing the eSIM does touches your messages.
The longer answer has a couple of details worth settling before you fly, because a blocked card abroad is one of the hardest things to fix on the move.
Why they arrive
A compatible phone takes two active lines at once. This is the setup we recommend for travelling, and it's thirty seconds in your mobile data settings.
| What | On which line |
|---|---|
| Mobile data | The travel eSIM |
| Calls and texts | Your usual line |
| Data roaming | On for the eSIM only |
With data roaming off on your line, that line can't browse and therefore can't run up charges, but it stays registered on the local network: it takes calls and it takes messages.
Incoming texts are free
Receiving a text costs nothing while roaming. What can cost money outside the European Union is sending messages and receiving calls, depending on your plan. Bank codes are only ever received, so there's no surprise there.
What can go wrong, and it isn't the eSIM
- Your bank has moved to in-app verification and that app needs data. Then you don't need a text, but you do need a connection, which is what the eSIM gives you.
- The banking app asks for biometrics and your phone is set to another language or another primary SIM.
- The text is slow. While roaming they sometimes arrive late, and many codes expire within minutes. Ask for another one.
- You've got aeroplane mode on with only the eSIM running over wifi: with no mobile network on your line, the text can't get in.
What to sort out before you leave
- Check your banking app is installed and up to date, and log in once to confirm the session works.
- Tell your bank you're travelling if the app lets you. It heads off blocks triggered by use from another country.
- Keep a second method to hand: a coordinate card, a physical key or your bank's phone number written down.
- If you're travelling with someone else, make sure they have your bank's helpline. That's what resolves a block when your phone isn't helping.
And if your phone is eSIM only
iPhones sold in the United States from the 14 onwards have no physical tray, so your usual line has to be an eSIM as well. If that's you, ask your operator for the eSIM profile of your line before the trip: it's free with almost every provider, but it isn't a five minute job from another country.
Which models support eSIM and which are eSIM only is in which iPhones have eSIM, model by model.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get my bank's texts if I use an eSIM?
Yes. Messages arrive over your usual line, which stays active inside the phone. The eSIM only carries data.
Am I charged for receiving those texts abroad?
No. Receiving messages costs nothing while roaming. What can cost money outside the European Union is sending them or receiving calls, depending on your plan.
What if my bank verifies in-app instead of by text?
Then you need a connection, which is exactly what the eSIM gives you. It's worth logging in once before you travel to check the session works.
What do I do if the code is slow to arrive?
While roaming, texts can be delayed and many codes expire quickly. Request another code and, if it still doesn't arrive, check your line has signal and isn't in aeroplane mode.
Does it work if my phone has no card slot?
Yes, but your usual line has to be an eSIM as well. Ask your operator for it before you travel, because doing it from abroad is a great deal more awkward.
